Document-file



No Model.)

H; S. LELAND 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

DOCUMENT FILE.

Patented'Mar. 10, 1896.

III/IIII/Il/IIIIIIIIII/IIIA g "I" ill lllll In 7 w M I (No Model.) 2 Meets-Sheet 2.

H. S. LELAND. DOCUMENT FILE.

No. 555,960. Patented Mar] 10, 1896.

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BLRAHAM PMOTb-UmO WASHINGTON D C IINTTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HERBERT S. LELAND, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, ASSIGNOR TO THE GEUDER do PAESCIIKE MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF MILIVAUKEE,

\VISCONSIN.

DOCUMENT-FILE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 555,960, dated March lo, 1896. Application filed February 23,1895. Serial No. 539,864. (No model.)

To 00% whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HERBERT S. LELAND, a citizen of the Unit-ed States, residing at Bal timore, in the State of Maryland, have in vented certain new and useful Improvements in Document-Files, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact specification.

My invention relates to document-files, and it has more especial reference to that class of such devices particularly employed for filing bank-checks and similar papers, the checks usually being separated by movable partitions held in place by a follower, and being arranged in a box or casing, which is commonly in the form of a drawer. Y

The primary object of my invention is to provide for the ready removal of the followerboard or of any one of the said partitions without disturbing the others.

Another object of my invention is to improve and simplify the means for holding the labels on the partitions.

A further object of my invention is to provide an improved, simple, and effective means for clamping the follower-board in place and at the same time permitting of its ready re moval and a still further object is to hold the follower-board and several partitions from unduly twisting or rotating end for end in the drawer.

IVith these ends in view, my invention con sists in certain features of novelty in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts by which the said objects and certain other objects hereinafter appearing are attained, all as fully described with reference to the accompanying drawings, andmore particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the said drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of my improved file. Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view thereof taken on the line 2 2, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view taken on the line 3 3, Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view taken on the line 4: 4, Fig. 2, showing the follower-board and partitions thrown back in the position they assume when the documents are to be inspected. Fig. 5 is a similar view showing the parts tightened up. Fig. (3 is a detail view of the lower edge of one of the partitions and the holding-rod, showing the manner of releasing the partition from the rod, the rod being shown in section; and Fig. 6 is a similar view showing the rod turned in its holding position. Fig. 7 is a detail face view of one of the partitions. Fig. 8 is a vertical transverse section thereof taken on the line 8 8, Fig. 7. Fig. 9 is a detail view of one of the blanks of which the partition is composed, and Fig. 10 is a detail view of the other of such blanks.

Like signs of reference indicate like parts throughout the several views.

In practice I prefer to apply my improvements to a box or casing having the form of an ordinary drawer for the sake of greater convenience, but it will nevertheless be understood that the improvements are alike ap plicable to other forms of casings or boxes and may be used in a vertical instead of a horizontal position without departing from the spirit of my invention.

The drawer or casing is shown at 1, the follower plate or board at 2, the partition-plates at 3, and the holding-rod for preventing the partitions and follower board from being withdrawn from the drawer at 4.

The holding-rod 4 is arranged horizontally in the bottom of the drawer below the level of the surface or bottom upon which the checks or documents 5 rest, the ends of the rod 4. being journaled in the front and back boards of the drawer and being held against withdrawal at one end by means of a removable cap or washer 6 and at the other end by the operating-knob 7, so that the rod may be rotated but not withdrawn.

As a convenient means of providing a depression in the bottom of the drawer for the reception of the rod i, I preferably form such bottom of metal or other suitable material and stamp therein a longitudinal trough or depression 8, along which the rod 4: extends, and into which depend the perforated ears 9 formed on the lower edges of the partitions 3, and through which perforated ears the rod 4: passes.

width than the diameter of the main opening in the ear, and the holding-rod 4 is formed with one or more flat sidesthat is to say, its crosssection is formed on diameters of different Each of these cars, however, is provided with a passage or aperture 10, of less lengths, the smaller one of which is capable of passing through the passage or opening 10, or, in other words, permitting the partition to be withdrawn from the drawer when the rod is turned with its greater diameter in line with the opening 10, as clearly shown in Fig. 6; but when the rod 4 is turned with said greater diameter crosswise of the opening 10 in the manner indicated in Fig. 6 and the other figures the partitions cannot be withdrawn from the drawer, although they may be readily slipped along the rod from end to end of the drawer. To the end that the position of the rod 4 may be conveniently determined, the actuating-knob 7 is provided with one or more flat sides 11 corresponding to the position of the fiat sides of the rod. The follower-board 2 is provided with a clamp for securing it in place, which is adapted to grip the rod 4, and one member, 12, of which is provided with an open-sided perforation similar to that formed in the ears 9, as above described. The member 12 is formed upon a plate 13 secured to the back of the follower-board 2 in any suitable manner, and arranged on the face of such plate 13 is the other member or jaw, 14, of the clamp. This jaw 14 is provided with a vertical slot 15, through which passes a stationary screw 16, the screw being secured in the follower-board by any suitable means, and thus holds the jaw 14 securely in place while permitting of its vertical movement or movement with reference to the member 12. The jaw 14 is caused to approach and recede from the rod 4 for gripping and releasing it by means of a thumb wheel or knob 17 pivoted by screw 18 to the follower-board, and having an eccentric or cam 19, which is arranged between the upper and lower lugs, 20 21, respectively, formed on the member 14, the member 14 being slotted also at 22, where the screw 18 passes through it. Thus it will be seen that by means of the thumb-knob 17 the jaw 14 may be caused to grip the rod 4 with any desired degree of pressure and the eccentric or cam 19 will remain in the position in which it is turned and will not permit the jaw to release its hold.

The lower edge or contacting-surface of the jaw 14 is of considerable Width lengthwise of the rod 4, or, in other words, the rear edge of t the jaw 14 is extended rearwardly, so as to be at a considerable distancefrom the forward edge of the member 12, and consequently will impinge upon the rod 4 and support the follower-board in an inclined position when the clamp. is released, as shown in Fig. 4, such position of the board being convenient for the inspection of the papers. Thus it will be seen that the follower-board and partitions may be moved back and forth in the drawer without danger of total displacement, and at the same time, when desired, either the follower-board or any one of the partitions may be readily removed without disturbing the others.

In order to prevent undue twisting or oscillation of the follower-board and the partitions, I provide each of the partitions with an additional pair of depending ears or lugs 23 and the follower-board with a pair of such ears or lugs 24, which depend into grooves or channels 25 similar to the groove or channel 8 formed in the bottom of the drawer. These ears or lugs 23 24 also serve to prevent the documents from working under the partitions.

The upper edges of the partitions are bent or. inclined rearwardly, so that the labels 26 will be in a more convenient position for inspection, while the partitions are arranged close together and in their vertical position. The label-holders for these labels are constituted on each of the partitions by first providing the upper edge of the partition with a number of cut-away portions, so as to form the projections 27 28, as shown in Fig. 9, and over the edge of the partition thus cut away is folded the blank or strip 29, (shown in Fig. 10,).so that one-half of the blank on each side of its longitudinal center will be on each side of the partition in the manner indicated in Fig. 8, with the openings 29 in the blank coincident with the openings between the projections 27 28. The openings 29, however, are of less length and width than the openings between the projections 27 28, so as to form salient edges or flanges, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 7, for holding the label 26 in place. In order that the label may be inserted under these salient edges or flanges, each end of each of the openings 29 at its inner side or corner is slotted, as shown at 30, and this slotted portion 30, when the blank in Fig. 10 is folded over the edge of the blank in Fig. 9, comes at the upper edge of the label-holdcr and is of sufficient width to admit the thickness of the label.

The partitions 3 are supported in their inclined position by means of projections 31 formed on the upper edges thereof, which come against the upper side of supports 32, formed on or secured to the sides of the drawer. These supports 32 substantially fill the space between the projections 31 and the bottom of the drawer, so as to prevent the documents from working around the ends of the parti tions.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new therein, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination with a casing having three grooves or channels formed in the bot tom thereof, of a rod extending along the middle one of said channels, the partitions having ears or lugs depending into each of said channels and the middle one of said ears or lugs on each of said partitions being provided with a perforation through which said rod passes; whereby the partitions may be moved back and forth lengthwise of the rod and will be held from unduly twisting in the casing, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination with a casing, of a flatsidedrotatable rod mounted therein, a follower-board provided with a depending portion perforated for the passage of said rod and having an opening of less width than the greatest diameter of the cross-section of said rod, a reciprocating jaw 14 mounted on said board and adapted to grip said rod and being provided with a lug, and a thumb wheel or knob having a cam or eccentric arranged to engage with said lug for actuating said jaw, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination with a casing, of a rod mounted therein, a follower-board provided with a depending portion perforated for the passage of said rod the jaw 14 being adapted to descend upon and grip said rod, said jaw being provided with slots 15, 22 and the lugs 20, 21, screws or pins passing through said slots, and a pivoted thumb wheel or knob having an eccentric or cam located between said lugs 20, 21, for actuating said jaw, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination with a casing and a rod mounted therein, of afollower having the depending portion 12 perforated for the passage of said rod, and a clamp mounted on said follower and having the jaw 14 for gripping said rod, the rear edge of said jaw being extended rearwardly relatively to the forward edge of said portion 12, whereby the follower will be supported upon the rod in an inclined position, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination with the partition 3 having its upper edge cut away to form upward extensions, of a strip having the openings 29 and being folded over and secured to the upper edge of said partition 3 with the openings 29 coincident with the spaces between said upward extensions, the openings 29 being of less length than the distance between said upward extensions, substantially as set forth.

6. The combination with the partition 3 having cut-away portions in its upper edge forming upward extensions, of a strip folded over and secured to the upper edge of said partition andbeing provided with openings 29 of less width and length than the space formed by said upward extensions, and being arranged coincident with said space and having the slits 30 for the admission of the label, substantially as set forth. I

HERBERT S. LELAND.

Witnesses:

F. A. HOPKINS, EDNA B. J ounson.v 

